Help with benefits?

Hi there you wont get WFF if one of you is not working more at least 30hrs a week, so you need to be living together & with only 1 baby you might not get it at all as his weekly income is rather high.

If you are not living together wont you be going for the DPB?

I also think if your debt can be wiped by selling your car then do it.

Thank you so much for the advice.

He will be working 30 hours a week, and I also work as a neuroscience research assistant, but this is a project by project basis so money is never reliable.

We are very serious and also rather excited :)

The living situation is tricky I have to study in dunedin as that is the only place I can do neuroscience in the south island, and my partner works in chch...he is in construction so obviously after the earthquake he has wayy more work here than in Dunedin.

I am not sure if we will last long being apart though, but we are going to do what is best for us and that might mean living apart for awhile.

I just assumed because we were not split up (i.e. we are very much in love) I am not a single parent so therefore not eligable for the DPB

I hope to get most of my baby stuff secound hand as I love op shopping anyhow..its just a matter of me creating a budget like wriggles said and going over it with my man.

I will put my hilux on trademe and hope for the best, I might also sell my horse seeing as the poor boy wont get any exercise for 9 months + (unless anyone here lives in dunedin and wants to ride a horse for me? lol)

here are some questions I have
1. Is it best to not buy anything and just wait until you see what is given to you?
2. How do you politely tell your partner that yes, its ok to have a beer after work but not if we are sticking to a budget?
3. How do you not get addicted to this website ;)

Ugh hope you are all nice and cosy in this crappy weather.

great idea stacey, im going to suggest this to him!

amd thanks for the sales advice, I will try and control myself!

Move your horse to Timaru i'll ride him for you! :p But seriously, selling him is a good idea too, i sold my boy when i found out i was preg and for the best even though it totally broke my heart. But i didnt ride after about 20wks pregnant and now DS is 4 months and i would have had NO time to fit in a ride yet. Besides if i hurt myself now who would take care of bubs, you know? Rambling...but i totally thought i'd have time for him after bubs was born and im so pleased i was convinced otherwise as he would be standing alone in his paddock all day!

Um what Kebekat said, sales! Like the farmers 50% of one this week, they come up quite often. Queens Birthday is coming up no doubt they'll have a cracker of a sale then. Never buy anything full price. You don't NEED a lot of things (bassinets, change tables etc are optional extras for example)

I dont know about DPB if you're still a couple but may get some assistance, ring and ask (they backpay to first contact to so sooner you ring the better)

Nwah. Is he a TB? (i have a mate in dunedin looking for a bigger TB for dressage lol, i could guarentee he would be in safe hands) I'd had Blazes for 7 years but he's happy in his new home and totally spoilt. Saving his feed money for the next 9 months alone would give you a nice fat cushion to fall back on. Also would the sale of the horse clear your debt? Cuz i'd do the horse before the car, i have no idea how people do without a car but i don't live in a city with great public transport.

Hey Bowie, He is a hanoverian x nz sport horse.. should be a good doer, but just isnt!

I will sell my car too I think, (I am trying to celar as much of my student loan as possible) DP has a car and I might just save for a smaller one for when bubs arrives.
At the moment we have a landcruiser and a hilux, definatly only need one ute!

I love my truck though, its so handy with having dogs.

True that. I have a whopper of a student loan sitting somewhere, i was paying it off while working but don't bother with it now i'm not. And its an exciting time when i get a letter asking if i want my interest back!

Hanoverian X...mmmm wish i could have a horse now, have always wanted a sports horse, i've only ever had spindly TB/Arab crosses and while they're pretty and good for dressage i wanna get into XC and they're just so delicate!

Totally downgrade cars though, i went from a landy (one of the 80's retro ones with the fold down back seats!) to a toyota corolla then back up to a caldina. The corolla was cheap as chips to run and bit enough for my purposes. It was under 1k to buy too, and i had the lift back version so my (one!) dog could sit in the boot space happily. Was a great comprimise. Its a pain to get bubs in and out of a 4WD anyway.

Student loans- they will be worth nothing in a few decades.... remember how a can of coke used to cost 50c... or a house used to cost 20k... well in 20 years, our student loans will be easy to pay off- right??

Thats what Im relying on. lol

I just read some more posts that say your living apart but your not breaking up? Weird but okay, you can get the dpb if you say you are broken up. if thats not what you intend to do then i'ld go for student allowance. Once you have a kid as I stated you may be allegable. That would be best, also look into accomodation supplement & WFF. You may get some. Best idea is to go to the Winz site & they have a caculator which tells you want your entitled to. Although as your a student they may make you apply through studylink.

Hi Guest, have a look at WINZ and IRD.

What specifically are you wanting to know?